


Tempest

by wallflower97



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Elemental!Armin, Elemental!Eren, Elemental!Mikasa, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Grisha is King, Grisha is not related to Eren, I needed a bad guy, Kidnapping, Kingdoms, M/M, Magic, Minor Violence, Oops, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining!Levi, Titans technically exist, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2018-04-13 07:03:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4512438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflower97/pseuds/wallflower97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger is an Elemental; a person who has developed the powers of nature. Powers can vary from manipulating emotions to summoning fire to foretelling the future. Gifted with the ability to create and control storms, Eren protects his clan from curious humans who wander too deep into the forest. The Elemental Clan keeps to themselves, and do not interfere with outside problems.</p><p>On the border of the dark forest lies the Kingdom of Trost. Trost is currently on the losing side of a war against the Kingdom of Shigashina. Humanoid beasts, 'Titans', have been captured and trained as military weapons to fight Shigashina, inflicting major damage on the soldiers of Trost. Tasked with finding a way to beat Titans and turn the tide, the Scouting Legion sets out to find Elementals in hope that they will be enough the win this war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Storms Brewing

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic ever, so I apolgize in advance for bad writing/bad use of tags/etc

*** **LEVI POV** ***

The sound of thunder echoed in the distance, as I made my way into the Scouting Legion headquarters. I couldn’t help but sigh in disgust at the state of my shoes, they were covered in mud. _Damn storm._

Shoving the door open to the meeting room, Commander Erwin glanced up at me. Hanji, who had been flipping through a stack of papers, lit up when she saw me.

“Levi! You’ve finally made it! We were wondering when you would come back,” Hanji said, grinning like a madwoman.

Erwin only nodded, “Glad you’ve arrived, we’ve been given our next assignment.”

 _Next assignment?_ I thought, _but we’re not yet done with our current one._

“What do you mean? I thought we were still focused on discovering safe passageways through Shigashina territory,” I questioned.

The Kingdom of Shigashina had been at war with Trost, the kingdom the Scouting Legion serves, for 7 years now. Every battle ever fought head-on with Shigashina has ended poorly for Trost. The only tactic that seems to work is avoiding the soldiers overall. Shigashina has been on the winning side of the war due to their use of the horrific beasts, ‘Titans’.

Titans are humanoid creatures that seem to come straight from a ghost story. Most reach about 8 feet tall and are as wide as three men. “Breeds” of Titans vary; some being smaller but much more swift, and others reaching 10 feet yet can only slowly amble towards their target. Regardless of type, all Titans have regeneration powers, and the only weak spot discovered is the nape of their neck. The sheer strength and brutality of the Titans have caused Trost to constantly remain on the defensive.

“As you know, Shigashina has those… _things._ We need something to counter their power,” Erwin explained, “King Grisha has proposed a solution.”

“And what’s that?” I said.

Erwin cleared his throat, “He wants us to find, and capture, Elementals. Grisha believes that if Shigashina can find beasts from legend, so can we. We begin searching in two days.”

I narrowed my eyes at Erwin, “ _Elementals?_ Just because one fairy tale is real doesn’t mean all of them are.”

Hanji, who had been silently watching our debate, spoke up, “Well…before you uh…joined Levi, the old commander had believed he had successfully caught an elemental. “

“How did this commander know he had an elemental?”

“Erwin and I were new recruits at the time, so we weren’t given all of the details. But apparently, there was an Elemental caught who could manipulate light! Just imagine what it would be like studying that! And the Elemental claimed he was over 100 years old, though he looked no older than 20!”

“Why don’t people ever talk about it then? And what about the Elemental? Did it escape?”

Hanji and Erwin exchanged looks, before Erwin said, “Everybody who knew about it was given a gag order. The Elemental died, and no one is sure why.”

*** **EREN POV** ***

Wind whistled in my ears as dark clouds gathered overhead. Rain poured down, and thunder sounded as I sat in the mud, eyes closed and heart rate going just a little bit slower. _Focus,_ I thought, _Focus on the storm, it is yours to control._ Lightning struck in the distance, and what was a sunny afternoon had now turned into a raging storm.

I opened my eyes, and felt the winds calming down and raining falling a little bit lighter. Standing up, I stretched my back and glanced down at the trees that stood on the base of the hill. The curious human beings from before that had wandered into the forest came too close to uncovering clan territory, and the existence of Elementals. It was my turn to keep out visitors. Once I was satisfied that everything unwanted had been driven out of the forest, I turned to head back to the clan.

Part of me felt drowsy as I trudged down the hill. Conjuring a massive storm was a major power drain, yet it left me with an adrenaline rush. Summoning thunder or calling on rain didn’t require as much energy, yet a few bursts of lightning wouldn’t be enough to ward off guests. I couldn’t help but grin, _I have freedom, family, and strength. What more do I need?_

******

Finally reaching where the village, I took a glance around. Wooden staircases were wound around thick tree trunks that towered high into the sky, treehouses made out of bark resting on one of the many sturdy branches. Small stone structures with wooden roofs dotted the clearing, with small signs with the words ‘Infirmary’ or ‘Blacksmith’ painted on stood hammered above the doorway.  Strung from tree to tree were lit lanterns, illuminating the dirt pathways. In the center of the clearing was where the alarm bell rested, only to be used if humans were dangerously close. It lay in a fairly tall stone tower, where from the top you could almost see over the trees.

Most Elementals lived in treehouses, stone huts, or cozy homes dug underground. Each home coordinates with the Elemental’s power. I lived in one of the treehouses, close to the sky where the clouds nearly touched the top of the tree.

Mikasa, a close friend of mine, lived in a cave in one of the surrounding mountains. With the power to manipulate snow and frost, she enjoys being surrounded by thin air. A dirt pathway wove through the trees to the base of the mountain, and from there it was a steep hike. She didn’t get a lot of visitors.

I was still slightly groggy as I headed toward my house, and accidentally bumped into Mikasa.

“Mikasa? What’re you doing down here?” I said

“Funny I ran into you. I was about to check up on you, the storm you made was pretty powerful,” she said, “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yea, thanks Mika. I’m fine though, I’m getting better at handling them.”

Truth be told, I felt awful, but I didn’t Mikasa breathing down my back on “overexerting myself” and “pushing too hard”.

Mikasa studied me for a second, “Just stay safe Eren, if you use too much of your power you’re going to pass out.”

Unfortunately, I knew that she was right. When I meditate on summoning huge storms, it’s hard to judge how much energy I’m using. I go into a trance-like state, where time seems irrelevant and the outside world seems foggy. Noises are blocked out too, leaving me defenseless. On-the-go lightning bursts would slow me, but wouldn't stop me. 

“I know, I know, I’ll be careful.”

She pursed her lips and nodded, “Fine. I got to talk to Armin; I need his advice on something. I’ll see you later.” Mikasa gently kissed my cheek and strode off toward Armin’s home.

“Love you too!” I shouted back.

Armin was another Elemental, and another good friend of mine. He fell into a different category of Elementals though; his powers didn’t summon a force of nature. Instead, Armin had the ability to form illusions, usually so only one or two people could view it. Healing and rapid learning was another gift Armin had, making him the smartest person I know.

I collapsed into my bed as soon as I got home, dead tired. A chilly breeze came in from the open window, and I instinctively pulled up my blankets. My eyelids closed, and without realizing it, I was asleep.

 

*** **2 DAYS LATER/LEVI POV** ***

The last thing I wanted to do was ride off into the forest to find an extremely powerful being that may or may not exist. Yet here I am, galloping on my horse alongside Petra. We were in a wide field, heading toward a large, dense forest. Past the trees, a few small hills overlooked the field .Mountains with snowy peaks could be faintly seen in the distance.

Looking up, the sky didn’t seem very cloudy. There was a slight chill in the air, but the weather seemed fine. According to Erwin, we would have to continue on; rain or shine.

 I only hoped to get this over with quickly.


	2. Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouting Legion reaches the forest, much to the Elementals' displeasure. Eren gets angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated! I had hoped for this to come out sooner, but I was visiting my cousin in Chicago over the weekend. I'm pretty sure there will be lots of grammar/spelling mistakes, but I didn't catch any? Regardless, enjoy!  
> Also, thanks to midnightoflight on tumblr!! She's been a big help writing this.

*****EREN POV*****

I was sitting across from Mikasa, casually talking to her when Armin darted in. He looked out of breath, no doubt from climbing the staircase that led to my treehouse.

“Guys…It’s the…It’s the _humans_ ,” Armin gasped out.

As he said that, the alarm bell that usually remained silent on the stone tower, sounded. It was a loud and booming sound, and every Elemental in the vicinity surely heard it.

The three of us made our way down, Mikasa in the lead. She was nervous, I could tell by the trail of ice she left behind on the staircase. Armin and I looked at each other, we knew when Mikasa was nervous, something is _really_ bad.

When we reached the bottom, other Elementals had already arrived. Some fidgeted, others seemed cross, and the rest just looked around for a leader. Everybody was remembering what had happened a few years ago.

There was an Elemental who had the ability to manipulate light. His personality seem to go perfectly with his gift, everybody who met him loved his kind nature. Marco was his name, and he was one of the greatest scouts. Gentle and talented, everybody was devastated when he didn’t return from a mission. Nobody wanted to admit it, yet the chance of Marco still being alive became slimmer and slimmer. Marco never returned, and has since been presumed dead.

 “Guys, you’re here!” shouted Historia, who shoved her way through the crowd. Her girlfriend Ymir was close behind, looking angry at the situation.

Historia and Ymir are never seen apart. Both are only 90 years old, much younger than some Elementals, but nobody has claimed to ever spot Ymir or Historia not within 30 feet of each other.

 Given the power to create force fields, Historia scarcely used her ability to protect Elemental territory.  Though it wouldn’t allow humans in, it was also leave them wondering why the forest is glowing blue and why they were mysteriously thrown away from a weird light.

Ymir manipulated metal, making her an excellent blacksmith. The only metal she couldn’t control was iron; it was a weakness for all Elementals. Iron shuts off our connection to the elements, therefore leaving us unable to use our powers.

“Is everyone here? Anyone missing?” Mikasa said, worry obvious in her voice.

Ymir nodded, “Everyone’s here, we’ve been waiting for you guys.”

I looked around, trying to see if there was a way to get everyone’s attention. Ymir beat me to it, letting out a loud, piercing whistle. Everyone turned to look at us.

Mikasa gestured to Armin, who stepped forward, “Without us realizing it, a large group of humans are almost at the border of our territory. We need to split up into teams.”

There was a quiet murmur of agreement, and Armin took a deep breath. Everyone saw Armin and Mikasa as leaders, it was an unspoken rule. Nobody ever questioned them.

“We’ll divide into three groups: those who’ll stay behind as a last defense, those who’ll scout ahead, and those who’ll attack them head-on, “Mikasa announced. She and Armin always picked up on each other’s strategies.

The groups were quickly formed, and I was placed in the attack group along with Mikasa, Jean, Reiner, Mina, and Connie. Armin, Ymir, Historia, and a few others were staying behind. Sasha and the rest of the scouts had already left, and plan to report back to Armin within the hour.

We each had our own weapon of choice, mine being a bronze sword. It conducted electricity fairly well, giving me an advantage. Tucking it into its sheath, I waited for Mikasa’s signal to move. Nobody wore armor, our regeneration skills made up for it.

I couldn’t imagine how humans got this close; I or someone else should have picked up on them. By now, they were far too close to drive off with a storm. The best I could do would give us cover with rain.

With a wave of her hand, Mikasa raced to the trees. Taking a deep breath, I followed her.

*****LEVI POV*****

We had finally reached the outskirts of forest, when began to pour. It came down heavily, almost entirely blinding us. Through the droplets, I could barely make out Erwin’s horse ahead of mine.

Fortunately for us, when we entered the forest, the trees overhead provided enough coverage that we could see where we were. I had to admire the forest for a minute; trees that seemed to be reaching up to grasp the sky, with flowers blooming by the roots. It was such a peaceful place, how dangerous could Elementals be if this was their home?

Before we had left headquarters, it had been decided we’d split up and search by squad. Most squadrons were combined, but mine was alone. I was grateful for that; less people to deal with.

Not before long, Erwin gave the signal to break off into squads. I continued going forward, and could Hanji out of the corner of my eye guiding her team off into the east. Soon, I could only hear horse hooves behind me and the sound of the rain smacking the leaves above.

“Do not stop when we reach the top of the hills,” I said, not bothering to turn around, “We need to get back under the trees as quick as possible, we can’t let the rain blind us.”

“Yes, sir!” was the response given, and we continued on in silence.

*** **EREN POV*****

I crouched on a small overlook and surveyed the forest below. Mikasa and the others were stationed at separate posts, each guarding a section of the hills. The only problem was messages would be hard to relay due to the distance. Hopefully, nothing will go terribly wrong.

For a moment, I thought I heard horse hooves. Straining my ears to get a better listen, the sound of horses grew steadily closer. A man’s voice rang out, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Focusing on where the noise was coming from, I tensed up.

One hand remained on my sword, the other slightly raised; preparing to draw lightning. Part of me felt angry, they were coming into _my_ forest? Elementals had never gone waltzing into their villages!

A sudden _boom_ came from the sky, and without realizing it, I had called lightning down.

 _Maybe that’ll steer them off,_ I thought. A part of me knew these people were different, they wouldn’t be scared off so easily.

My heart stopped in my chest as a figure riding a horse burst out of the forest. More behind him came, and I quickly unsheathed my sword.

I tried to count how many there were, but the humans moved too fast. The one in the front seemed to be the leader; he must have been the one who was shouting earlier. 

Moving forward, I decided it would be best to attack them while they were blinded. Picking a tall, slender tree I shifted my position to summon lightning. It should block them from reaching the top of the hill. Trees were much scarcer on the hillside, they were only lightly scattered around.

With a quick motion, I brought my hand down. There was a crackle of electricity and a flash. The tree toppled over, crashing into another tree. A rush of adrenaline went through me, making me grin.

Now that they had stopped, I could tell that it was five humans. All wore dark green capes with their hoods pulled up, shadowing their faces.

My palm became sweaty as I gripped my sword harshly, eyes never leaving the intruders.

*****LEVI POV*****

I had the feeling I was being watched. Though I never fully believed in Elementals, I knew my squad and I were not alone in this forest.

It seemed too relaxed and too quiet. Elementals were supposed to fiercely guard their territory, yet nothing had shown its face. I almost believed I was imagining things when lightning flashed in the sky.

Immediately, my squad stopped. A tree had fallen directly in front of us; this was no coincidence. Something was here.

Glancing around, I spotted a haven from the storm. It was a small cave with part of the hill jutting out, giving it an overhang. Steering my horse toward it, the rest of my team followed.

We reached the shelter just as another bolt of lightning struck where Gunther just was. I tried to see if I could find anyone or any _thing_ in the rain, but nothing was there. Everybody was soaked to the bone; nobody could stop their teeth from chattering.

I dismounted and let out a loud sign, “You know what? Fuck Erwin for dragging us out here in the goddamn rain to find some stupid fairytale.”

Nobody spoke as I glared out into the downpour, seething and soaked. Then, out in the distance, I swore I saw a figure of a lanky teenager with a sword in hand. Blinking the water out of my eyes, I looked again. There was nothing there.

It was silent as everybody attempted to dry themselves off and set up a small camp; there was nothing to say. I became lost in thought as I rifled through my saddlebags, searching for supplies.

“Captain, what is _that_?”

I jumped at Petra’s voice, and followed her finger to where she was pointing.

The same figure that I thought I saw earlier was there, though slightly closer. It didn’t seem grotesque as Titans, it looked human. With a flick of its hand, lightning struck close to the cave.

_A warning. It wants us out._

Everyone in my squad dashed for their swords, and I grabbed mine first. I didn’t bother mounting my horse, the Elemental was already fleeing.

“Get back here!” I shouted after in vain.

Rain seemed to fall at angle, much to my misfortune. The downpour became harder, and my vision was almost gone. Mud coated my boots, and thunder growled in the distance. I pushed on, hoping my squad was close behind. The Elemental was barely in my line of sight; I couldn’t afford to look away.

*****EREN POV*****

I was having mixed feelings about the humans following me. It meant I would be able to lead them away, hopefully out of the forest, but I was also now targeted. Engaging them directly was not the best idea at the moment; I had lost the element of surprise.

Sprinting through the trees, I heard the leader pursuing me. I felt myself suddenly slowing down, the energy it took from keeping the rain going this long taking its toll. Closing my eyes for a brief second, the rain began to lessen.

As soon as the rain began to lighten up, I took off even faster. Now I had more energy but less cover. Risking a glance behind me, the leader and the other humans had caught up. One of them, a small feminine looking one, was fumbling with something on her belt. She raised it in the air, and green smoke erupted.

_What was that for?_

In the distance, more greenish fog appeared, and then more from even further away.

Realization dawned on me, _they’re getting more humans. Shit._

The sound of the humans increased, they were getting much closer. I scanned the area to find a place suitable for a defensive position. _If I could get rid of this group, I might be able to escape._

Going for the cover of trees, I used whatever strength I had left to get me to the forest. I could knock down trees there, lose them, and do _something._

*****LEVI POV*****

The human-like thing was slowing down, Petra had signaled the others, and the rain was falling much lighter now. There was now a chance they would actually catch an Elemental.

Glancing up at the sky, I saw other smoke flares going up. Hopefully we’d trap this thing in the forest.

Inside of the woods, the tree branches blocked out the rain. I could see the Elemental clearly now, and it didn’t look beastly or ghastly at all, but more like a teenage boy.

It took a moment for me to realize the kid had turned, so he was now facing me. Bright sea-green eyes glared into mine, as he raised his hand again. _Not again._

Lightning struck the tree just to my left, knocking it over. It was a huge tree that completely blocked off the pathway, separating me from the rest of my team.

“Captain? Captain are you alright?” Petra asked from the other side of the giant log.

“I’m fine, wait for the others to arrive.”

The bright-eyed kid had gotten closer when I looked away. He was now in a fighting stance; eyes narrowed and short sword raised. The Elemental looked young; I didn’t want to injure him.

Bright-eyes suddenly leapt forward, short sword swinging. I lifted my sword to block, and nearly dropped it in surprise. _He had electrocuted my sword._

Recovering from the shock, I brought my sword up swiftly. I didn’t want to harm him, but he certainly didn’t care about wounding me. Slicing towards him, I pulled back to see a line of red appear on his forearm.

Instead of looking concerned, Bright-eyes only snickered as if the bleeding gnash was a stubbed toe. Steam began to form around the wound, the smoke appearing from nowhere. When it cleared a few seconds later, there was no cut. _They can regenerate, like the Titans?_ The idea of fighting this kid became less and less appealing.

“Listen kid, drop your damn sword now before I make you,” I said, in hope that the boy might listen.

“You think I would give up so easily?” The Elemental said, his turquoise eyes glimmering with malice.

I didn’t expect Bright-eyes to respond, given he wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place.

“I don’t know who or _what_ you are, but this won’t end well for you. Drop your sword.”

Reasoning with Bright-eyes seemed extremely unlikely

Practically snarling, Bright-eyes spoke, “Listen, you-“

There was a sharp whizzing sound that pierced the air, and a happy shout followed it. My head snapped to up the hill, where an overly cheerful Hanji stood next to Erwin. I turned back to look at the Elemental.

A large net had successfully wrapped itself around Bright-eyes, both knocking him unconscious and rendering him defenseless.

This did not turn out how I expected it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will hopefully be soon! (Im guessing Friday at the absolute latest). Once again, comments/kudos/anything are always extremely encouraging! Any feedback,, positive or negative, on my writing is appreciated 100%


	3. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Elementals form a plan to get Eren back. The Scouting Legion also has a plan, and Erwin acts strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who left a kudos, comment, or a bookmark! Your support is amazing!! Almost 400 hits?? 60 kudos?? This is absolutely stunning! I can't believe how many people enjoy this fic! Also, there will most likely be spelling/grammar mistakes again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****EREN POV*****

Heaving out a loud sigh, I noticed it seemed difficult to breathe. _I must been in Mikasa’s cave, the air is always so thin up there. It’s chilly too. Why is it so chilly?_

I didn’t open my eyes, I was too tired. My wrists felt weighed down, getting up seemed impossible. Sweat beaded my forehead, like the concept of being awake was exhausting. Licking my lips, I took note that my throat was extremely dry. A throbbing sensation came from my skull, a dull pain resting there. It ached, and so did most of my body. _Why is everything so sore?_

It was cold too, not like the cold from chilly wind, but like the freezing frost of no sun. Shifting my position in bed, I tried to recall why everything was stinging. _I didn’t duel with Mikasa, did I?_

Lifting one hand to brush hair away from my forehead, there was a _clink_.

I shot up in bed, eyes wide. Memories from the previous night came back in a swarm, overwhelming me. Questions seemed to flood my mind. _The humans, the trees, the raven-haired leader. What happened to my clan? Where was I? Where’s the leader and the rest of his clan?_

Studying the walls around me, I realized I was in a cell. Metal handcuffs were attached to my wrists, and on two sides were bars that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The other corner was two stone walls, no windows. Uneven rocks made up the floor, the bed being rusty and stiff.

A lantern, set outside of the cell, was dimly lit. It barely illuminated my room, and beyond it I could see a hallway and a few others chambers similar to mine. It was obviously the basement, the air bitter and brisk.

Closing my eyes again, I tried to feel for the clouds. My connection to the rain and winds seemed so faint. The feel of lightning was only a faded tug.

Nobody else seemed to be in the basement, humans or otherwise. Biting my lip, I glanced up. Trying to balance myself on the bed, I reached for the ceiling.

_Shit!_

I yanked my hand back as soon as my fingers had barely grasped the ceiling. It was, without a doubt, iron. Examining my finger, the tip of it had been severely burnt. My regeneration abilities would take much longer to heal it.

Sitting on the bed, I became bored. The grimy smell of the basement was getting to me, and the lantern was almost out. There was nothing to do but wait and mull over what had happened.

_Damn them all._

The creak of a door opening filled the air, and I craned my head toward the sound. _Humans?_

I tried to see into the darkness, but only the outline of another cell was visible. A glow of another light seemed just out of sight.

Boots rapidly hitting the floor suddenly rang out, an excited squeal following them. Light from a candle bounced along the wall, as a tall brown-haired human came into sight.

Brown eyes focused into mine as she bounded up to the metal bars of the cell. Giving her the nastiest stare I could, I didn’t flinch when she flung herself forward. Her head was craned in between the bars, smile unwavering.

“You’re awake! It’s nice to meet you! I’m Hanji; I’m part of the Scouting Legion, “Hanji said, grinning widely, “Would you mind answering some questions for me? Like how many sets of teeth you have?”

There was a silent pause as Hanji waited for answers, not at all unsettled by my glare.

Clenching my fists tightly, I asked, “Where the hell am I?”

Hanji looked surprised I responded, but quickly beamed at me, “You’re at a camp for the Scouting Legion! The Scouting Legion is a military branch for the Kingdom of Trost; we had to make an outpost out of an old manor while we transport you to headquarters! Sorry about the cuffs, but we need to make precautions! Also, I’m going to make a guess and say you have 2 sets of teeth like we do!”

_How could this human be so ecstatic?_

Pulling out a notebook, Hanji began to scribble something down. She hummed a bit, and tapped her foot happily on the stone floor.

“Where are the rest of the humans? What’s going to happen to me?”

Looking up again at me, she smiled, “How about this; you answer a few questions of mine and I’ll answer a few questions of yours. Deal?”

Nodding slightly, I leaned forward out of curiosity.

“The rest of the _humans_ ,” Hanji giggled, “Are most likely upstairs or patrolling the camp. Now my question, what’s your name?

_This isn’t so bad._

“My name’s Eren,” I said cautiously, and just as I spoke Hanji excitedly scrawled something into her notebook.

“I can’t answer what’s going to happen to you; it’s currently classified,” Hanji said, “But I can say you’ll be in good hands! Now, are there more like you? And what do you call yourself? Elemental or something else?”

“There are none like me,” I spat, and technically it was true. No one else could control storms.

“Are you sure? And-“Hanji was cut off abruptly by a cold voice.

“Hanji, how did you get Erwin’s permission to interrogate him so soon?” The raven-haired leader said as slowly strode up to Hanji, lantern in hand.

Scratching the back of her neck, Hanji tried for a confident grin, “Well, uh, I’m sure Erwin wouldn’t mind, Levi! It’s for research and heh, I’m not harming him! Eren doesn’t care, right Eren?”

_Levi, that’s his name._

Now that Levi was in better lighting, I could tell how short he was. Silver eyes were emotionless, and his calm stance gave off an aura that demanded respect and obedience.

“Eren?” Levi asked, glancing at me.

“Yup! His name is Eren! I think he’s male,” Hanji turned toward me, “You’re a boy right? Or do Elementals have genders? What about sexualities? Ooh, what about-“

“For fuck’s sake Hanji, I think its obvious Elementals have genders and shit. They’re not Titans,” Levi snapped, his eyes apathetic as ever.

Without realizing it, I had recoiled back when Levi spoke. Something was off about him, and it unnerved me.

“Aww, Levi, you’ve scared Eren. Eren was being so nice too! Poor little Eren” Hanji said.

“I’m not a dog! Stop treating me like I’m not here or something,” I snarled, scowling at both of them.

Ignoring my outburst, Levi kept his focus on Hanji, “Get upstairs before I tell Erwin, and _do not_ come stomping back down here again to bother _Eren.”_

Levi said my name as if it were an insult, like I really was a dog. My nails bit into the palm of my hand as my ears grew red out of anger.

Hanji let out a long whine as she slowly walked upstairs, dragging her feet along the way. The sound of a door closing echoed through the dungeon, and I was left alone with Levi.

Once Hanji had left, I studied Levi. Silver eyes that looked stormy in the lantern light, framed with silky black hair. Levi’s skin was smooth and pale like porcelain. _Beautiful._

_What?_

Shaking my head, I realized Levi had been silently glowering at me the entire time. Anger flared up inside of me. _What’s his problem? I didn’t invade_ his _home?_

“Why did you come after me? What were you doing in the forest?” I yelled, leaning forward, “What’s the point of all of this?”

Levi seemed taken aback, and remained silent for a minute. It was dead quiet before he spoke.

“We were sent by Trost’s King, King Grisha. No one expected you to be so…human-like,” Levi said, shrugging faintly, “Frankly, I didn’t want to have to go chasing after you. Orders are orders.”

“You…you didn’t want to capture me? Why did the King want me then?” I asked.

“Can’t tell you, you’ll know once we reach headquarters.”

“Why not? I deserve to know! This isn’t right; I never stomped into your home and dragged you out of it!”

Eyes widening ever so slightly, Levi stepped back. An emotion I couldn’t catch flashed in his eyes, and then was gone. _Was it empathy? Pity?_

Leaning down to pick up his lantern, Levi left without a word.

*****LEVI POV*****

Walking back upstairs after talking to that brat seemed to take forever. His teal eyes burning with defiance never left my mind.

_I never stomped into your home and dragged out of it._

I kept thinking about that over and over again, how similar it was to my past. The feeling of being isolated, the feeling of being in a new and weird place; I had been there.

Part of me knew he was right; Eren did deserve to know what will happen to him. I wonder how Erwin and Grisha planned to turn something so fiery and spirited into a military weapon.

Speaking of which, I had to talk to Erwin before his meeting with King Grisha. Erwin had seemed to get lost in thought much more since we came back.

In fact, everyone has been a little strange. _What’s going on?_

*****ARMIN POV*****

It’s chaos.

 _Everything_ is chaos.

Ever since Eren went missing and the humans left, it’s all been a giant mess.

Historia and Ymir were attached to the hip at this point, as if a human might swoop down and grab one of them. Sasha had devoured half of our food out of pure stress, and Connie has been trying to stop her with no luck. Reiner wasn’t taking any chances; he now carried around his battleaxe constantly. Bertholt was usually shuffling quietly behind Reiner, making sure he didn’t accidentally chop someone’s head off.  Flowers were randomly popping up where Mina stood, and Thomas had holed himself up in his treehouse.

But Mikasa was on an entirely different level of worry. Fueled with anger, clouds have been blocking out the sun since Eren was reported missing. Random gusts of icy wind would blow through the village, knocking things over left and right. Icicles had formed on tree branches and one of the streams had frozen over. The path up to Mikasa’s cave no longer existed; it had been swallowed by mounds of snow that had thankfully stayed on the mountain. Fortunately, Mikasa controlled herself enough to not cause an avalanche.

She was now pacing in my home, frost covering the wooden floorboards. The red scarf which Mikasa always wore was gripped tightly in her hand.

“Mikasa, please, just sit down. We need to think carefully about this, “I said.                            

  
“Armin, how could you be calm? Eren is…is captured by those humans! We can’t just watch this happen!”

“Exactly, that’s why we need think rationally; striking without a plan won’t end well for us.”

Letting out a huff, Mikasa stopped pacing and turned to face me, “What do you suggest?”

“We could send scouts into the town; maybe have them pretend they’re human. The closest human village is most likely where Eren is. It’s a small place, I’m sure the news would spread quickly.”

“Who would we send? We can’t send too many,” Mikasa trailed off, gazing at the floor.

I was silent, who would we send? Sasha and Connie were great fighters, but I couldn’t trust them in social situations. Ymir was far too brash and blunt to stealthily get information, so Historia couldn’t go. Jean had a short temper, and Bertholt was far too shy.

“What about sending you and Reiner? You’d be able to get the information you need, and Reiner is a pretty good sweet talker,” I offered.

When I suggested sending her, Mikasa went paler than usually, “Oh no, I don’t think I could do very well with humans.” A blush crept into her cheeks and Mikasa put her hands up defensively.

“Why not? You’re not afraid of humans, are you?” I asked.

“You think I’m _afraid_ of humans? Of course I’m not afraid, it’s something else. You wouldn’t get it,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Mikasa what is it? I would understand, I’m one of your best friends,” I said, in hopes of getting her to talk about whatever is bothering her.

“There’s…nothing. It’s nothing at all.”

Mikasa was definitely hiding something, and why wouldn’t she tell me what it is? Sighing, I stood up and walked over to my bookshelf. Pushing some books back and forth, I finally found it.

“Here,” I said, and offered the dusty green book to Mikasa, “It’s one of human books. It has a map inside, though I’m sure it’s outdated. Use it if you want, I don’t how much of a help it would be.”

Looking relieved that I dropped the topic, she grabbed the ancient book out of my hands, “What else is in it?”

“Nothing of use, I don’t think so at least. Though I can’t say for sure, I think it was a book that kept records of the town’s residents.”

Opening up the book, a cloud of dust puffed into the air. I coughed, waving my hand in front of my face. The green cover of the book was faded and crumbling, though Mikasa flipped through the book carefully as if it were brand new. Her eyes lit up briefly, but she quickly masked her emotions.

_Did she know a human?_

Before I could ask, Mikasa slammed the book shut, and another wave of soot filled the air.

“Let’s go find Reiner,” Mikasa said.

*****LEVI POV*****

 I walked side by side with Erwin, neither one of us speaking. We were both heading to the dining hall, to toast to our success and to talk about our future plans. Well, Erwin would discuss the plans; I would sit back and drink.

Before Erwin could open the door to the mess hall, I turned to look at him.

“Erwin, what are we planning to do with the Elemental? He’s not as human as we expected, you don’t seriously think that a defiant brat like that will be turned into a military weapon?”

Erwin paused for a minute before speaking, “I cannot say if it will be useful military wise, but I think Hanji and the other researches could have a real breakthrough with understanding Elementals.”

“First, the Elemental is not an _it_ , it is a _he_. Second, Elementals are not Titans. Why do you act like they are?”

Shaking his head, Erwin heaved a loud sigh, “Human-like or not, they are still wild creatures. They aren’t civilized, Levi.”

“How do you know that? Explain,” I demanded.

_Did Erwin even see Eren? He spoke English; he understood what we were saying._

“I’d love to take time and explain, but I’m sure our troops have been waiting for us,” Erwin pushed open the door, and headed toward the small podium and stage.

I sat down at the veteran’s table, seated across from Hanji and Mike. Hanji looked lost in thought; one hand rested on her notebook and the other supported her head. She gazed forward unblinkingly, forehead slightly creased.

Mike sat silently, looking bored as he tapped his fingers on the table. Nobody really cared about Erwin’s announcement; they just wanted to get to the food.

For the majority of Erwin’s speech, I zoned out. I already knew what was happening; we’d move Eren to our headquarters and leave in the next few weeks or so. Hanji would probably beg for the chance to return to the forest, which will most likely be denied. Our current situation is waiting here at the outpost and regrouping.

I felt someone rapidly tapping on my arm, and I looked up. Hanji looked strangely serious instead of her usual cheerful attitude.

“You met Eren, right? You saw how human he was, right?” Hanji whispered, leaning forward.

For once, I didn’t give her a snarky comment, Hanji sounded too concerned for this to be one of her silly questions, “Yeah, surprised me. I thought they would be more beast-like.”

“Did you listen to Erwin’s speech? He makes Eren sound like a horrific monster,” Hanji said.

“I talked to him before we walked in, he described Eren the same way,” I answered, giving Erwin a curious glance as he stood on the stage, “Is he trying to scare off cadets from exploring around the manor and finding him?”

Hanji shrugged and didn’t say anything else for a minute. She tapped her pencil against the table before asking, “Are other people after Eren? Besides stupid cadets, what if other people have an interest in using him?”

The whole situation was giving me a headache, and Hanji looked worried. I shrugged, “It’ll work out eventually Hanji, just be aware.”

Normally I wouldn’t attempt to comfort Hanji, but something was off. Erwin was being strange, and I knew Hanji cared more than anyone about keeping Eren safe.  

_Who else would be after him? Shigashina? We only got him a few days ago, how could the news travel this fast?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update should be soon? Updates will most likely slow down when school picks up. Comments/feedback is always welcome! I love hearing your thoughts about my writing, I love improving my skills.  
> 


	4. Conversations of Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren thinks back to his past. Mikasa, Reiner, Levi, and Erwin all have some interesting conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated! Woo! Also this chapter seems off to me but I don't know why...? The writing probably isn't the best quality but it's updated so...

*****EREN POV*****

I sat alone in the damp cell, the lantern light almost entirely gone. Levi and Hanji had left a long time ago, and I wasn’t sure how long it had been. _Was it yesterday? Or a few hours ago?_

My fists were clenched, nails drawing blood from the palm of my hand. I was angry; angry at myself, angry at Levi, angry at _everything._ This wasn’t right, none of this was. Humans were humans and Elementals were Elementals, they didn’t mix.

I was separated from everything; family, friends, home, powers. Nothing here was familiar, and it was all wrong. Closing my eyes, I attempted to steady my breathing. _Calm down, you need to relax._

Memories flashed through my head, reminding me of whom once told me that. It was a long, long time ago.

_I was sitting in a creaky wooden chair in front of my mother, who was trying to dab my cheek with a white cloth. We were sitting in her cottage, miles away from the other Elementals and their camp. She liked to be alone in nature, due to my mother had the ability to manipulate plants. Visits to the main village were frequent, both to friends and the market._

_Though to humans I looked nine or ten, I was only thirty-one years old. She was 219 years old, yet could pass as merely forty in human years. Elementals had some influence over their appearance age wise, with few limits._

_My mother looked at me kindly, warmth shining in her eyes. Her long hair was tied into a side ponytail, resting on her shoulder._

_“You can’t get into fights all the time Eren. You haven’t mastered your powers yet; you could seriously hurt somebody,” she said disapprovingly._

_“It’s not my fault! The other kid started it by throwing rocks at Armin!” I said back, rage filling up inside of me._

_“Calm down Eren, you need to relax.”_

_“Why? I should be angry! Armin’s my best friend!”_

_There a flash of light, and I realized I had accidentally summoned a burst of lightning. I looked up at my mother in shock, and then down at my fingertips. Smoke rolled off of them, wisps of gray fading as they rose._

_“See Eren? You don’t know when your powers will act up,” my mother scolded, “Control your anger. Use it to_ guide _the lightning, not just create it._

_She wrapped her hand around mine, and gave it a squeeze, “You’re strong Eren. Stubborn maybe, but strong. Don’t forget that.”_

_I studied her face for a moment, checking to see if she was sincere. Nothing but honesty shone on her face, and a gentle smile formed on my mother’s lips._

_“I love you, you know.”_

_“I love you too, ma.”_

Feeling as if I were floating, I found myself not being able to open my eyes. Thoughts of my mother drifted into my mind, consuming me in another flashback.

_There was smoke. Smoke everywhere. It burned my lungs and stung my eyes but I shoved these complaints down, focusing on the task at hand. Shouts sounded in the distant, the words carried away in the wind._

_Somebody yelled again, and their voice seemed to barely carry over the wind, “Run!”_

_Run to where? There was nothing but ash around me._

_The trees that had once stood impossibly tall were burning, and flames crept up and the down the bark. There were more angry shouts in the wind, but I couldn’t understand them._

_Then there were humans. Angry, disgusting humans who raised their torches in rage and stormed into the forest, demolishing everything in their path, with no mercy for anyone or anything._

_It was then the spark of war began to burn between humans and Elementals, stronger than before. Humans wanted the resources of Elemental lands, and decided to take it by force. And by doing so, they took the life of my mother, all for their insatiable greed._

_I screamed for my mother as someone yanked me away, shielding me from the horrors that were human. Plants swallowed the path as we ran, slowing down our attackers. One last gift from my mother, I realized; one last stand._

_Humans could not be trusted. How could they, with their greed and rage and ambition?_

_Elementals were able to push humans back, and decided to that living deep into the forest was required by all Elementals. Growing the trees that had been burned down back would was now a problem with my mother gone. Along with her, there were too many casualties to instantly bounce back from the attack._

_Months afterward were spent regrouping, rebuilding, and planning. The entire time though, I was still in shock from my mother dying. Armin and Mikasa were the only ones I spoke more than a few words too. All because of humans._

I snapped awake, and the cold chains on wrist chattered loudly. The icy air of the dungeon made me shiver, and I curled my arms around myself. _How long was I out?_

My mother, the humans when I was younger…a shiver ran down my spine. I had accepted my mother’s death a long time ago, yet I was still out for revenge. The face of the human that had led the attack was permanently stamped into my mind, but there was no guarantee he was still alive. Humans had such short lives, didn’t they?

A growl left my mouth as I thought about my situation; trapped with humans against my will. They have another thing coming if they think I’ll submit to them so easily. With that, I began to formulate my escape plan.

 

*****LEVI POV*****

I furiously scrubbed the mud off my boots as I rested on my bed. The sun had set a few hours ago; I was exhausted from the events of the past week.

_We have a fucking Elemental in the basement. A being that is not supposed to exist, yet ‘Eren’ is down there._

Rubbing my temples, I let out a loud sigh. Both mental and physical fatigue weighed me down, as I pondered the events of the week. _I fought a mythical creature, Erwin is being strange, and a blizzard is predicted and it’s only October._

The blizzard prediction had come a few days ago, which wasn’t terribly surprising considering how far north the Scouting Legion’s camp is. It was still early in the season, yet signs of the oncoming snow storm were everything. Temperatures had dropped severely, and thick, fluffy, clouds polluted the sky. Wind forced its way through the local town, rattling windows and slamming doors shut with an almost unnatural force.

Hanji was curious if it had come from Eren, but the precautions we made in the dungeon should have prevented him from using his powers.  She had gone a rant during dinner that I had mostly ignored, except for picking up a few parts involving her theories on other Elementals existing.

A groaned loudly when somebody rapped on the door to my bedroom, and I glanced out the window at how dark it was. _Who the fuck wants to talk at this hour?_

Before I gave a response, the door swung open to reveal Erwin standing there. He had papers tucked under one arm, and he was wearing casual clothing instead of his uniform.

“No, don’t knock, I don’t need privacy or anything,” I snarled at him, as I stood up.

“I need to talk to you about something Levi, it’s important,” Erwin stated, his usual neutral gaze present on his face.

“Can’t it wait until morning? I have shit to do, like sleeping and cleaning the filth off my boots,” I said, crossing my arms.

“It’s about the Elemental, I wanted to talk now when there’s less of a chance somebody will overhear.”

“What’s with you lately and being all weird about the Elemental lately? You sound constipated when you talk about him.”

“Technically Levi, we don’t know if it’s a male, it’s not human. It may seem like it, but it is a wild Elemental. ”

I narrowed my eyes at Erwin, something was definitely not right, “ _His_ name is Eren, you know. Wild, sure, but you make _him_ sound like a titan. Like _he_ has no humanity at all.”

While I spoke to him, I put a stress on the male pronouns.

Erwin shrugged, “We’re moving him to headquarters next week, there’s been a slight delay apparently. The oncoming blizzard is slowing down our travel routes, and the only other option is through Shigashina territory which we can’t risk right now. We’ll get him there eventually, when the storm passes.”

“And this is so important that you had to come and tell me this late?”

“I’m telling you this because if Shigashina finds out about another source of power like him, their next attack will be here. The Kingdom of Shigashina are greedy bastards, and I’m putting you in charge of protecting _Eren._ ”

“Whatever, sure. I’ll watch the little brat. Now, the door is right there and I highly recommend you use it.”

He gave a smile, a smile I hated because it was the grin he made when he knew he won, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Levi.”

I didn’t say anything as the door shut, and I was finally left alone.

*****MIKASA POV*****

Reiner and I relaxed in a tavern, sitting at a bar with a musty scent hanging in the air. The place was crowded for such a small village, and a rowdy man next to me kept shoving into me while laughing at a joke his companion made. Beer stains covered the counter along with crumbs and random bits of food I couldn’t identify.

Before we left, I had dug through my closet to find the thickest pair of gloves I could find. Even through the wool, I had trouble keeping the ice from enveloping the disgusting bar counter. Reiner kept glancing at me, checking to make sure I hadn’t frozen the place over.

Our mission currently was to find local gossip on anything strange going on, the only thing we heard so far was the Scouting Legion was in town and had recently returned from an expedition. It was called a successful one, but the details on why had not been released.

The obnoxious, red-faced man next to me chuckled at something his friend said, “Eh, you heard about the creature the scouts got? ‘Posed to be all hush-hush but I got connections, ya know?”

I perked up at this, and glanced at Reiner, who had also picked up on what the man said despite his thick accent.

His friend shrugged, “I ‘eard itsa human-like thing, not all beasty and whatnot. Strange, ain’t it? First we gots the Titans marching all over the place, and now some other thing shows up? Humans got enough problems, we don’t needs to add more by tryin’ to bring fairy tales to life, eh?”

Clearing his throat, Reiner spoke up, “I’m sorry, but this is the first we’ve heard about a creature supposedly captured by the Scouting Legion? What’s that about?”

The man glanced over at Reiner, “It means humans are messin’ with things we shouldn’t be messin’ with. The Scouting Legion, I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘em,  are meddlin’ with things that are best left alone. Took the poor beast to their camp, if they caught anything at all.”

Reiner feigned surprise, “Oh? Interesting, my partner and I were passing through town looking for good hunting regions, this is the first we heard of…ah, what did you call what they caught? A creature?”

The man nodded, “A creature of some sort, and they gon move it to their headquarters down south soon. ‘Least that’s what I heard, can never be too sure though. I got a friend who knows a soldier in the Scouting Legion, so I gets the best inside stories, ya know?”

I nodded, “It seems you do. Thank you for clearing it up for us, I was quite confused at the bits and pieces of gossip I was hearing.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

Reiner and I stood up and crossed the tavern floor, heading for the doors. As we reached the exit, a short man with a serious expression barged in, followed by a tall woman with tangled brown hair and an extremely large man with bangs falling into his eyes. They wore matching capes, dark green with a pair of wings on the back.

We kept walking, though I was unsettled by them. Though we didn’t speak, I could feel Reiner felt the same way.

“Who were they?” he hissed quietly at me once we were a safe distance away.

“Judging by their uniform, they must be part of the military. They could be the Scouting Legion…” I trailed off and got lost in thought. _What if they were the ones to capture Eren? What if it was him who took Eren?_

Suddenly, Reiner grabbed my arm, “Woah, Mikasa. Calm down.”

Ice coated the road and had spread out in different directions around me.

“Sorry, I…I don’t know. I miss Eren,” I said quietly as I readjusted my gloves.

“C’mon, let’s get back to Armin. He’ll want to hear about this,” Reiner said.

“You go back, there’s something I need to do before that.”

Not deciding to question my decision, Reiner nodded, “Stay safe, Mikasa.”

When Reiner disappeared behind the tree line, I pulled out the book Armin gave me with the list of residents in it. Time to see if she was here.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my update! I will update next week for sure, even if it's only 500 words (Hopefully not)  
> I wanted to update last night, but the thing with Paris and everything else upset me and I couldn't focus  
> Also Levi seems a bit OOC to me but at the same time I don't want him to see like an entirely antisocial, irrationally angry, i-drop-5-f-bombs-in-one-sentence kind of guy.  
> Compliments, criticism, hate, random facts about your life, and whatever are always really appreciated in the comments, along with kudos! Thanks for being so patient with me guys, I will update a lot more consistently now that school and sports has settled down and winter break is coming (which means A LOT of free time).  
> Thanks guys


	5. Announcement!

This is being rewritten!! Be on the lookout guys, I have a new source of inspiration (;

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's finally published. I hope you guys enjoyed! Updates will probably be erratic and vary in length. Feedback is really appreciated! Did I describe stuff too much or too little? OOCness?  
> Thanks for reading♥


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